Washington Capitals organization sign Patrick Thomas to tryout agreement

On Thursday, the Bears announced they have signed forward Patrick Thomas to an ATO just days before the start of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Patrick Thomas who is 20 years old recently completed a standout season with the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and is set to join Hershey for the postseason run.

Being a very good playmaker, Patrick Thomas had 85 points with 23 goals and 62 assists in 68 games this season by finishing among Hamilton's top scorers.

His vision and puck distribution earned him praise in the junior ranks and the Bears are hoping he can bring that offensive creativity to the AHL level as they aim to defend their 2024 championship.

Thomas was undrafted in the NHL and becomes another promising young addition to Hershey's lineup at a critical time and his signing provides the Bears with additional depth in the grind of a long playoff run.

The Hershey Bears are the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals and they finished among the top teams in the league this season and are once again considered Calder Cup contenders.

They are expected to open their playoff campaign next week with official dates and opponents still to be finalized it remains to be seen how quickly Thomas will get into the action.

For Hershey, it's a low-risk, high-upside move and for Patrick Thomas, it's a golden opportunity to make an impression at the professional level.

Thomas has the potential to become an NHL player in the near future, and it will be exciting to see how he develops within the Capitals organization.

Congratulations to Patrick Thomas!